From the UCA CEO

Over the past several weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to see our industry from several different perspectives. At the Patient Experience Symposium in Boston, Massachusetts, I joined healthcare leaders from across the country to discuss what I call “The Urgent Care Effect,” which is how our industry helped change what consumers expect from healthcare. More recently, I spent time with Urgent Care leaders at the Northeast Urgent Care Association (NERUCA) meeting, and our colleagues in California gathered for California Urgent Care Association’s (CalUCA) annual conference. Different audiences. Different markets. But …
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For much of Urgent Care’s history, convenience was our calling card. Walk-in access, extended hours, 7-day availability, and locations close to where people live and work changed what patients expected from healthcare. Convenience helped build this field, but it won’t be the only thing defining our future. Last month, I wrote about the forces reshaping healthcare: growing challenges with primary care access, rising costs, pressure on emergency departments, and employers searching for better ways to connect their workforce with affordable care. Those challenges create an enormous opportunity for Urgent Care, …
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Over the past year, I’ve written about telling our story, strengthening our voice, proving our value, and, most recently, Urgent Care’s evolution from a convenient alternative to an essential part of everyday healthcare. As I look at where we stand today, I believe we’re entering another important chapter. Healthcare is changing rapidly, and nearly every trend points in the same direction. Primary care physicians are retiring faster than they can be replaced. New physicians aren’t entering primary care in sufficient numbers to close the gap. Patients are waiting weeks, and …
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As I continue to meet with operators, clinicians, policymakers, employers, and healthcare leaders, I continue to hear many of the same challenges: reimbursement challenges, rising healthcare costs, workforce shortages, limited access to primary care, and growing pressure on emergency departments. At the same time, I’m hearing something else: growing recognition of the important role Urgent Care plays in addressing these challenges. For years, Urgent Care was often viewed as an alternative, a convenient option when patients couldn’t get in to see their physician or wanted to avoid a trip to …
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As we move into June, I’ve been reflecting on the momentum we’ve built and what we do with it next. Our Convention in Chicago brought our field together in a powerful way. The conversations were thoughtful, practical, and forward-looking. We saw alignment forming around some of the most important issues we face: advocacy, workforce, reimbursement, and the continued evolution of our care model. Since then, that momentum has continued. Our work in Washington is advancing. Engagement at the state level is constantly expanding, and our focus on strengthening how we …
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